1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing a workpiece. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for clamping a workpiece to perform various operations on the workpiece.
2. Background
Installation of rivets and/or other types of fasteners may be performed in large airframe structures. These airframe structures include, for example, without limitation, wing and fuselage skins to supporting structures, and other suitable structures. These types of installations may be performed using manual and/or computer-controlled machines. Clamping devices may be installed by drilling holes through a workpiece and installing temporary fasteners into the holes to clamp together parts that are to be joined. Next, a hole may be drilled through the workpiece with a drill. A rivet or other type of fastener may be installed into the hole.
This type of process may be time consuming and expensive, especially when performed manually in locations where an automated machine cannot access a workpiece. For example, without limitation, in fuselage barrels and/or wing boxes, it may not be possible to install rivets with existing automated machines, because a machine is unable to simultaneously access both sides of these types of airframe structures. Most automated machines employ some version of a c-frame device, in which the workpiece to be operated on may be disposed between two opposing jaws of the c-frame. The c-frame jaws may support tools such as, for example, without limitation, drills and/or riveters.
Electromagnetic clamping techniques may also be used to perform operations such as, for example, without limitation, clamping, drilling, and/or fastener insertion. These types of techniques may use electromagnets on one side of a workpiece and a magnetic material, such as steel plates, on an opposite side of the workpiece for a clamping process. These steel plates may be relatively heavy when manipulated by a human operator. For example, without limitation, a steel plate may weigh up to around 30 pounds.
A human operator may hold the steel plate in place on one side of a workpiece, while the electromagnet may be positioned on the other side of the workpiece. The electromagnet may be activated to clamp the workpiece between the electromagnet and the steel plate. An operation may then be performed on the workpiece. Thereafter, the electromagnet may be turned off and the human operator may move the steel plate to another location on the workpiece.
The electromagnet may then be engaged to clamp the workpiece with the steel plate at that new location. Another operation may then be performed. This process may be repeated hundreds of times for a workpiece. Using steel plates may cause fatigue problems for personnel installing and/or removing these plates for clamping operation, especially in confined spaces such as a wing box.
Thus, the different currently available clamping mechanisms for processing workpieces with limited access space may be difficult to implement. Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus for minimizing the issues described above.